Breathe
by Rasiaa
Summary: Based on the song Breathe by Anna Nalick, snippets of Harry Potter life.


_2 am and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,_

_Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?_

_I don't love him, winter just wasn't my season_

"Alice?" Lily whispered. Alice Prewett opened her eyes into the darkness. Her close friend, Lily Evens, was sitting on the edge of her bed, biting her lip nervously.

"What's up, sweetheart?" Alice whispered back, sitting up.

Lily licked her lips, then whispered, "I think he's finally gotten to me, Alice. I can't get him out of my mind. I don't love him…do I?"

Alice frowned. "Who?"

"James Potter."

_Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes,_

_Like they have any right at all to criticize, _

_Hypocrites, You're all here for the very same reason_

The doors to Malfoy Manor swung open, and Severus Snape felt his heart beating hard and fast in his chest. Bellatrix, Lucius, Narcicca, and countess others had their eyes trained on him.

The Dark Lord looked at him. "Ah, Severus," he said, his voice as cold as ice. "So glad you could join us. What information have you brought us from the Order?"

Snape opened his mouth, taking a deep breath and said clearly, "There is a prophecy, My Lord, about a young boy, born at the end on the seventh month, who will be your downfall."

'_Cause you can't just the track, we're like cars on a cable,_

_And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table,_

_No one can find the rewind button, girl,_

_So cradle your head in your hands,_

_And breathe…just breathe,_

_Oh, breathe, breathe_

Andromeda felt panic rise in her chest. She was going to be disowned for this, she knew. But Ted Tonks wasn't a bad man, just a Muggle born. There wasn't going back now, though. She had agreed to marry him. There was just one more step before she said "I do." She had to tell her family. Sirius wouldn't care. Regulus might. Narcicca would not mention what she thought. Bella would be pissed. So would everyone else.

_May he turn 21 and the base of Fort Bliss,_

"_Just a day," he said down to the flask in his fist,_

"_Ain't been sober since maybe October of last year."_

It was Remus' twenty -first birthday. And he was alone. Forever alone, he knew, as he had been since James and Lily had been murdered in October of last year. Since Sirius had betrayed them and been arrested after he had killed Peter. He hadn't been sober since. He was drowning his sorrows, as they said. There was movement outside. Fear seized him in a death grip, and he scrambled outside, wand and bags in hand, and ran off into the night, fresh tears clouding his vision. _Lies._

_Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while, _

_But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,_

_Wanna hold him, maybe I'll just sing about it._

Harry Potter hadn't been the same since his godfather Sirius Black had been murdered last year. Ginny could see that, as he sat down, seemingly alone in the Gryffindor Common Room. He hadn't seen her, but she could see him, as she always could. She always saw his face fall when he though no one was looking. When he came back to the Burrow for Christmas, she could hear him in the living room, crying. Alone, when he thought no one was there.

'_Cause you can't jump the track, we're like car on a cable,_

_And life's like an hourglass glued to the table, _

_No one can find the rewind button boys, _

_So cradle your head in your hands,_

_And breathe… just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe_

Sirius closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he hadn't done it. He hadn't killed Peter. For something he hadn't done, he had been thrown into Azkaban. He knew, somewhere deep in his mind, that it was Remus' birthday. He shouldn't have to be alone. And, Sirius knew Remus probably was thinking about what used to be. About the Marauders.

What happened, Sirius wondered as lightning lit up the dark cell he resided in. Where did we go wrong? When Sirius thought about it, he supposed they hadn't been the Marauders anymore sometime late sixth year. Still friends, yes, but the tight threads that held them together had started to some undone. And James' death snapped them. If Sirius ever got out of Azkaban, he knew he and Remus would not be on speaking terms. The thought made him want to cry.

_There's a light at each end of this tunnel,_

_You shout 'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out,_

_And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again,_

_If you only try turning around_

The poisoned bottle hadn't worked. Draco swore, cursing the idiot they had for a potions master, giving the poison to Weasley. He would have to try something else. But what? Dumbledore was no fool, as much as Draco thought he was. Looking around and seeing no one, he swept into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He took off his tie, them his robes, leaving himself in torn pants and a thin shirt. He was freezing, but he didn't care. He leaned on the sink, staring at his reflection his the rusty mirrors. He was disgusted with himself.

Why couldn't the Dark Lord have chosen someone else? He didn't want to kill Albus Dumbledore. In a sick, twisted way, Dumbledore was family. As little as he had to do with Draco's life, he had been a huge influence. Draco looked away, down at his left forearm. He could see that cursed tattoo through the thin fabric. The black and green ink writhed on his pale skin, and soon, Draco couldn't bear to look at it anymore. He ran into one of the stalls, and wretched violently. When he was finished, he sunk onto the floor and curled up within himself, letting the heart wrenching sobs rake his thin frame.

Little did Draco know, but he was in the same position that poor Regulus Black had been in, years and years ago, just before he had left school, but after he made the wrong choice, and did what his parents had asked of him.

_2 am and I'm still awake, writing a song,_

_If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me,_

_Threatening the life it belongs to_

_And I feel like I'm naked in front of crowd,_

'_Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud,_

_And I know that you'll use them, however you want to_

Regulus closed his gray eyes, so like his brother's, as bit his lip to feel the pain. Why hadn't he gone with Sirius all those years ago? Why wasn't he brave enough? What had he done? He opened his eyes again, and dipped the quill into the inkwell, then bringing in over the small bit of parchment. He might not have been brave enough at the age of fourteen, but now, at the age of nineteen, he was.

_To the Dark Lord,_ he wrote, _I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. R.A.B._

Regulus cast a drying charm over the wet ink, and folded it several times, until it was small enough to fit inside the locket he had in his hands. He slid it inside, and before he could change his mind, he called for Kreacher, his loyal house elf, for the last time.

_But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, _

_And life's like an hourglass glued to the table, _

_No one can find the rewind button now,_

_Sing if you understand,_

_And breathe, just breathe,_

_Whoa breathe, just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe._


End file.
